Art History Short Course – Books that Changed Art History: Hillstead

Ernst Gombrich, Art and Illusion (1960)

Art history is more than a series of facts about artists, artworks, dealers, and patrons. It is also a mode of inquiry that, over decades, indeed centuries, has been shaped by the writing and research of many different scholars. Taking this insight as its starting point, this short course of lectures introduces six prominent books that shaped art history as an academic discipline, framing these books alongside the authors who wrote them and the contexts in which they were written. By proceeding chronologically, the lectures introduce some of the key paradigms of art history as it is still practiced today: from connoisseurship and formal analysis to iconology, feminism, and the social history of art. These frameworks of interpretation can be applied to the art of any period and any geographic origin. However, because of the strength of Hill-Stead’s collection, the lectures will give special attention to the case of impressionism.

No previous course work in art history is required and no background reading is assigned. An informal syllabus of additional reading, however, is provided for those who are interested. Each lecture will run about 45 minutes. The sessions will be followed by a Q&A and informal wine reception.

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